System of electric lighting



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR GASSETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,663, dated January13, 1885.

Application filed October 9, 1883.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR GASSETT, of Boston,county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Systems of Electric Lighting, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, likeletters on the drawing representing like parts.

Myinvention relates to a system of lighting by electricity,and isembodied in an apparatus in which each house or building to be lightedcontains its own electric circuit and generator for electricity and amotor to operate the generator, while the power for actuating the motorsof a large number of buildings or stations is distributed from a commonor central station. The power is distributed by means of compressed air,there being at the main or central station a compressing-engine andreservoir to retain a considerable quantity of compressed air, and thesystem also comprises small reservoirs at the different sub-stations orbuildings,containing a sufficient amount of compressed air to actuatethe motor for a considerable length of time without further supply fromthe main station.

The invention consists in the general arrangement and combination of thedifferent parts of the apparatus, and also in various detailshereinafter specified.

The drawing shows in a diagram a portion of a system of electriclighting embodying this invention.

At the main or central station a motor of any suitable or usualconstruction is employed to operate an air-compressing apparatus, A, bywhich air is compressed into a suitable reservoir, B, of considerablesize, so that the aircompressor A may remain continually in op eration,although the air is drawn from the reservoir B onlyduring a portion ofthe time. From the said reservoir B the compressed air is conveyed bysuitable ducts or pipes, a, having branches leading to all the pointsthat are to be supplied with power from the main or central motor.

Each building or sub-station to be lighted is preferably provided with areservoir, 2), into which air is received from the pipe (1, which (Nomodel.)

is provided with a check-valve, c, to prevent the returnof air from thereservoir b in case the pressure in the pipe should be reduced. From thereservoir 1) the air is conveyed by a pipe, C, to a pressure-regulatingdevice, d, of any suitable or usual construction, from which it issueswith a uniform pressure into a pipe, 6, which supplies the motorf, andactuates the generator 9, that is to produce the current employed forlighting. The motorfis preferably one of the rotary order, having thearmature of the generator 9 connected directly with its shaft.

The passage of air from the reservoir 1) to the pressure-regulator d andmotor f is controlled by a valve, h, the stem of which is provided witha bell-crank lever, h, one arm of which is acted upon by a weight, If,tending to move it in the direction to close the valve, and the otherarm of which is connected with a piston, 75, operating in a cylinder,7;, supplied with air from a chest, 76*, connected with the pipe 0 andreservoir 1), the pressure of the air when admitted to the cylinder 70moving the piston 70 and connected lever h in the direction to open thevalve 72. The admission of air into the cylinder 70 from the chest 70 tooperate the valve 72, as thus described, is controlled by a smalltapering valve, m, connected with the armature of an electro-magnet, m.The piston 70 has a loose fit in the cylinder 7.1, but when forcedforward by the air when the valve m is opened comes to a seat upon thehead k of the cylinder, preventing the escape of airbetween the pistonand cylinder. Vhen, however, the valve m is closed, the air no longerbeing supplied to the cylinder is, the weight k forces the piston backwith a cushioned movement, the air escaping around the piston.

The circuit of the generator g consists of wires 2 3 from eitherterminal thereof, having branches 4 connecting them, and including thelamps n, of any suitable or usual construction, placed in the differentapartments, as may be desired. The branchest also include switches 0, bywhich they may be opened or closed to put the lights in operation or toextinguish them.

In order to keep the resistance uniform in the lights that are inoperation when one or more of the lights a are extinguished, branches 5are employed, containing resistances equal to that of the lamps a, theresistance preterably being that of similar lamps, n, which may beplaced in any apartment where it is desired to always have more or lesslight, so that as the lights a are extinguished the substitute lamps awill be set in operation, the switches 0 being arranged to close thebranch 5 in the movement by which they open the branches 4t.

In order that the generator may be set in operation whenever one or moreof the lights at are to be used, the circuit 6 ot' the battery B andmagnet m, controlling the val vc m, and through it the valve 71, isprovided with closing branches 7, including switches 0,1nechanicallyconnected with the switches 0, so that when the latter are moved to openor close the branches 4, containing the lights a, the branches 7 willalso be opened and closed; and it is only when all the said branches areopened, or all the lights a thrown out of operation, that the saidcircuit 5 will be opened, causing the valves in and h to close, and thusstopping the motor.

If desired, the switches o 0 may be operated automatically, as by anelectro-magnet, p, included in that portion of the branch a which isleft open when the branch 5, containing the substitute lamp it, isclosed.

The switch will be provided with an arina ture for the said magnet 12,which, so long as the branch t remains closed, will retain the switch 0pin position to close the branches 4: and 7, but in case of the breakingof the branch 4, as by the destruction of the lamp a therein, theswitch, being nolonger held by its magnet, will be moved by itsretractingspring 2) to close the branch 5.

The reservoirs b are provided with pressure-gagesr, the pointer of whichforms a portion of a local circuit, 8, containing a signal, if, the saidpointer of the gage being arranged to close the said circuit when thepressure in the reservoirs rises above or is reduced below a certainamount, it thus indicating in the latter case that the supply of poweris becoming exhausted.

In other applications, Ito. 121, 710, filed February 23, 1884:, and No.133,547, tiled June 2, 1884, I have shown similar apparatus forgenerating and distributing power and converting the same intoelectricity, and the claim in the present application is solely forcombinations of appliances not claimed in the said applications.

1. In an apparatus for electric lighting, a substation containing amechanical motor and electric generator actuated thereby, combinedwithan elcctro-magnet controlling the application of power to the motor,and circuit therefor having closing branches, a circuit for thegenerator having branches containing lamps, and switches controlling thelamp-circuit and circuit of the controlling magnet, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a system of electric lighting, the following clements incombination, namely: a main station containing a fluid compressor andreservoir, sub-stations, each containing a reservoir connected by pipeswith the main reservoir, a motor and electric generator actuatedthereby, an electric circuit from the said generator, having branchescontaining the lamps to be used, and independent branches containingsubstitute lamps, and switches whereby one of the said branches isclosed when the other is opened, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-lighting apparatus, a motor and electric generatoractuated thereby and connected in circuit with the lamps, combined witha valve controlling the application of power to the motor, and anactuating cylinder and piston for the said valve, and a valve andactuating electro-magnet controlling the admission of tluid to the saidcylinder, and a circuit for the said magnet, havingcontrol-ling-switches, substantially as described.

' l. An electric circuit having branches containing electric lamps andother corresponding branches containing substitute lamps, combincd witha switch or circuit-changing device controlling both branches, as setforth, whereby the branch containing the substitute lamp is closed whenthe corresponding branch is opened, and the reverse, substantially asdescribed.

5. An electric circuit having a branch con taining a lamp, and aswitch-controlling magnetin the said branch, combined with acorresponding branch containing a substitute lamp, and a switchcontrolled by the said magnet, and itself governing the condition ofboth branches, whereby the second branch is automatically closed whenthe first-mentioned branch is broken, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub scribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses: OSCAR GASSETT.

Jos. l. Livnmronn, "W. H. Srcsron.

